I’m really excited and I hope you are too. I’ve been getting by with the Melitta plastic coffee filters. I will let you know when they’re in!

This is definitely one of the easiest and quickest way to make a good cup of coffee. I say this while I’m enjoying my cup of Blue Bottle Coffee made from Chapada Diamantina beans.The good people at Blue Bottle always give good recommendations on which beans to buy based on how you make your coffee.

Just went to the Blue Bottle Roasting facility in Oakland and bought a fresh bag of coffee beans, that was roasted the day before. I am in love with the fact that every time I buy Blue Bottle Coffee beans they are roasted either that day or the day before. Pretty amazing!

Being spoiled like that, you won’t go back to store bought beans from the supermarket bins. I had a bad experience with Allegro beans from the bin at Whole Foods. Two words – disappointingly stale!

The barista recommended their Three African beans when I mentioned I would be using a French press. However, we also have hand drip filters at work. So I went online to learn how to properly hand drip your coffee.

I tried unsuccessfully this morning. The stirring technique in this video will probably make a difference. Enjoy!

Get your own Porcelain Drip Filter here!

Just ask to take the VIA challenge. The barista will pour 2 tiny cups of coffee for you to compare, without telling you which coffee is which.

All I noticed was that the VIA instant coffee appeared darker than the store brand. (I only knew which coffee was which after tasting them and talking to the barista.) Honestly, both coffees tasted the same to me (and I have been blessed with sensitive taste buds)! The VIA coffee tasted like brewed coffee, dark roasted and full bodied. If you didn’t tell me it was instant coffee I wouldn’t have known. It definitely tastes better than Folgers instant coffee.

Starbucks VIA Ready Brew comes individually packaged, perfect to take along when traveling or enjoying at work. VIA Ready Brew comes in two flavors – Italian Roast and Colombian.

Buy it here from Amazon and get free shipping on orders $25 or more:
Starbucks VIA™ Ready Brew by Starbucks Coffee

For hot chocolate, fill with milk then add cocoa powder or chocolate shavings. The Aeroccino will actually mix it for you! At the same time, it heats up whatever liquid you put in. Great also for mixing matcha green tea powder with soymilk, as matcha green tea is difficult to dissolve well. It’s perfect for work and easy to clean.

I bought this item for around $100 from Williams Sonoma. You can get it from Amazon from the link below.

Where to Buy:

Nespresso Aeroccino Automatic Milk Frother

Caffe Amici Espresso, located on the corner of Montgomery St. and Bush St. in San Francisco’s bustling financial district, is a hidden gem. Cafe service is friendly and fast. I usually get my espresso drink within 2-3 minutes. I come to Caffe Amici Espresso for their espresso drinks, namely their lattes and mochas. As you can see, this cafe puts a real effort into creating artful crema. I don’t know how they do it, but they always perfectly top their espresso drinks with a beautiful, heart shaped crema. It makes me feel loved. And I crave their espresso! Caffe Amici Espresso’s froth is thick and yummy, unlike Starbuck’s. With “Espresso” being part of their name, Caffe Amici Espresso really delivers. The rich, dark roasted, Italian espresso will leave you wondering why you would go anywhere else in San Francisco for espresso (except maybe Emporio Rulli). There’s really nothing like good Italian espresso.